Inventory possesion system and method

Abstract

In some aspects, an apparatus may include one or more processors configured to identify at least one of a holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer; identify the steps of an inventory management cycle including any of a raw material procurement, a raw material inventory, a work in process inventory, a finished goods inventory, a shipping inventory and accounts payable and provide an inventory possession model configured to allocate ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer and allocate physical possession of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inventory possession method comprising:
 identifying at least one of a holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer;   identifying the steps of an inventory management cycle including any of a raw material procurement, a raw material inventory, a work in process inventory, a finished goods inventory, a shipping inventory and an accounts payable; and   providing an inventory possession model comprising:
 allocating ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer; and 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The inventory possession method of  claim 1  wherein the allocating is performed at any of a date certain, an event certain, a trigger point or upon demand. 
     
     
         3 . The inventory possession method of  claim 2  comprising:
 allocating the ownership of the raw material procurement to the holding company; 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the ownership of the raw material inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and 
 transferring the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer. 
 
     
     
         4 . The inventory possession method of  claim 2  comprising:
 allocating the ownership of the raw material procurement and the raw material inventory to the holding company; 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the ownership of the raw material inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and 
 transferring the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer. 
 
     
     
         5 . The inventory possession method of  claim 2  comprising:
 allocating the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory and the work in process inventory to the holding company; 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the ownership of the raw material inventory and the work in process inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and 
 transferring the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer. 
 
     
     
         6 . The inventory possession method of  claim 2  comprising:
 allocating the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory and the finished goods inventory to the holding company; 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the ownership of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory and the finished goods inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and 
 transferring the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer. 
 
     
     
         7 . The inventory possession method of  claim 2  comprising:
 allocating the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the holding company; 
 allocating physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company; 
 transferring the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and 
 transferring the ownership of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory from the holding company to the customer. 
 
     
     
         8 . An inventory possession system comprising:
 a microprocessor configured to:   identify at least one of each of a holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer;   identify the steps of an inventory management cycle including any of a raw material procurement, a material inventory, a work in process inventory, a finished goods inventory, a shipping inventory and an accounts payable;   allocate ownership of the raw material procurement, the material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst each of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer in accordance with an inventory possession model;   allocate physical possession of the raw material procurement, the material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst each of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer in accordance with the inventory possession model; and   wherein the allocating is performed at any of a date certain, a trigger point or upon demand.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:
 identify at least one of a holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer; 
 identify the steps of an inventory management cycle including any of a raw material procurement, a raw material inventory, a work in process inventory, a finished goods inventory, a shipping inventory and an accounts payable; and 
 provide an inventory possession model configured to:
 allocate ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer; and 
 allocate physical possession of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory and the accounts payable amongst any of the holding company, a manufacturing company and a customer. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the inventory possession model is further configured to allocate the ownership and allocate physical possession at any of a date certain, an event certain, a trigger point or upon demand. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to:
 allocate the ownership of the raw material procurement to the holding company;   allocate physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory, the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company;   transfer the ownership of the raw material inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company;   transfer the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and   transfer the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to:
 allocate the ownership of the raw material procurement and the raw material inventory to the holding company;   allocate physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company;   transfer the ownership of the raw material inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company;   transfer the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and   transfer the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to:
 allocate the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory and the work in process inventory to the holding company;   allocate physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company;   transfer the ownership of the raw material inventory and the work in process inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company;   transfer the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and   transfer the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to:
 allocate the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory and the finished goods inventory to the holding company;   allocate physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company;   transfer the ownership of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory and the finished goods inventory from the holding company to the manufacturing company;   transfer the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and   transfer the ownership of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to:
 allocate the ownership of the raw material procurement, the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the holding company   allocate physical possession of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory to the manufacturing company   transfer the physical possession of the shipping inventory from the manufacturing company to the customer; and   transfer the ownership of the raw material inventory, the work in process inventory, the finished goods inventory and the shipping inventory from the holding company to the customer.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to allocate a risk amongst any of the holding company, the manufacturing company and the customer. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the risk comprises any of shrinkage, scrap, obsolescence, rejection and material review board. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the work in process inventory comprises any of a standard work product flow, a material review board work, a non-conforming work and a non-standard product flow. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the raw material inventory comprises a plurality of raw materials. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the inventory possession model is configured to optimize a cash conversion cycle amongst any of the holding company, the manufacturing company and the customer. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the trigger point comprises any of a point in a production and a point in a business cycle. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the date certain comprises any of a calendar date, a contractual date, a delivery date and a scrap disposition date.